According to the Office for National Statistics, house prices are continuing to fall, with the average cost of a home at levels not seen since the summer of 2009.

If you’ve been wary of trying to obtain a mortgage due to financial issues over the last several years, it may come as a surprise that you may have more options that you think.

While first time homebuyers are looking for ways to lock in the best possible mortgage rates, homeowners are also considering the potential of refinancing an existing mortgage.

While buying a first home is not as easy as a few years ago, buyers can still use a few basic strategies to increase the chances of finding a viable mortgage

There is a great deal of competition amongst mortgage lenders right now and this is a situation that consumers can use to their advantage. While potential homeowners still need acceptable credit ratings and other resources on hand to demonstrate that you do not present an unreasonable risk to lenders.

While it is true that many lenders today are more discriminating in who they do and do not grant mortgage financing to, do not make the assumption that past financial issues will automatically exclude you from owning a home.